T'lan Imass
The T'lan Imass ee-mass,Read for Pixels 2016 Interview As pronounced by Steven Erikson at 54:35 or the Silent Host,Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 15, US HC p.414 were undead members of the mortal Imass race, transformed by participating in the Ritual of Tellann. Their Warrens were Elder - blood and earthbound, and as such impervious to Otataral.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.277 Their shamans were called Bonecasters.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.320 The Ritual of Tellann T'lan Imass immortality was achieved via the Ritual of Tellann approximately 300 000 years prior to the main events of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, transforming the mortal Imass, one of the four Founding Races,Gardens of the Moon, Glossary, UK MMPB p.705 into the undead T'lan Imass. The Imass chose to undergo the ritual in order to be more efficient in their war of extermination with the Jaghut. As mortals, the Imass were scattered, their unity lost. They could not cross the ice barriers of the Jaghut. There was starvation. As Tellann undead, the armies could cross such obstacles. Some Imass did not take part in the original ritual, either choosing to remain mortal or arriving too late. Of those who chose to remain mortal, some later took part in a second evocation of the ritual which was only partially successful (see Brold ). Resulting Appearance Those who participated in the ritual resembled walking mummified corpses. They could travel great distances with incredible speed by becoming one with the earth beneath their feet. This also enabled them to seemingly materialize out of nowhere to ambush their prey. They could also cross bodies of water, but could only find their shape on land.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 9, US HC p.242 Impact on Senses Mundane senses had for the most part withered along with the flesh. Through the shadowed orbits of (Onrack's) eyes, for example, the world was a complex collage of dull colours, heat and cold and often measured by an unerring sensitivity to motion. Spoken words swirled in mercurial clouds of breath - if the speaker lived, that is. If not, then it was the sound itself that was detectable, shivering its way through the air. Onrack sensed sound as much by sight as by hearing. They communicated with each other mostly by thought/telepathy which was no longer possible if they were severed from the ritual as Onrack was.House of Chains, Chapter 6 Values The T'lan Imass abhorred failure. Anyone too shattered to remain with their kin was left behind. Failure's sentence was abandonment, an eternity of immobility. When failure was honourable, their sentient remnants were placed open to the sky, to vistas, to the outside world, so that they might find peace in watching the passing of eons.House of Chains, Chapter 1 Dishonourable behaviour was punished by severing the head from the body, dismembering the headless corpse and scattering the limbs. Weapons would be taken and returned to the place of birth. Achieving Death Dissolution in water was the only escape possible from the eternal ritual. Some were known to have chosen that path as, even when cut to pieces, each part was still sentient.House of Chains, Chapter 6 Using body parts from other T'lan Imass to 'patch oneself up' was possible but was looked upon as the greatest abomination, the most dire twisting of the powers of Tellann. The Jaghut Wars The T'lan Imass exterminated Jaghut wherever they could be found, children as well as adults. They often crushed their enemies under heavy, warded stones.The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.82 This method often meant their victims took years to die.House of Chains, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.517-518 The Armies of the Diaspora The time after the ritual was referred to as the Diaspora. It was due to end in the Year of the Three Hundredth Millennium.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.321 The following T'lan Imass nations were named Armies of the Diaspora:Memories of Ice, Glossary, UK MMPB p.1183 *Bentract *Betrule *Ifayle *Kerluhm *Kron *Logros *Orshayn The Logros T'lan Imass The Logros were tasked with remaining at the site of the First Empire and guarding the First Throne against any threats. Shortly before the founding of the Malazan Empire, the Logros were awakened by Kellanved when he located and took control of the First Throne. They were the perfect army. The T'lan Imass never had to be fed or transported, they could not desert, and they could go anywhere.Memories of Ice, Chapter 1, UK MMPB p.62 They served the Malazan Empire until shortly after the Emperor's death. Onos T'oolan, the First Sword of the Logros T'lan Imass, told Imperial Adjunct Lorn that the Logros had gathered minds after the Emperor's death, the first time since before the Diaspora, and due to the resultant binding he could not answer her questions about the First Throne.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.320 According to Tattersail, the T'lan Imass refused to acknowledge the new Empress Laseen and traveled into the Jhag Odhan, eventually returning at half-strength.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.73 The T'lan Imass had in fact hunted newly discovered Jaghut. Following that Jaghut War, they began hunting the Seven of the Dead Fires who were traveling across Seven Cities and through the Nascent. Known clans within the Logros included: * Tarad * L'echae Shayn The Kron T'lan Imass According to Onos T'oolan the binding which was the result of the Logros gathering minds, also applied to the Kron and they, too, would not be able to answer her questions about the First Throne.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.320 The Kron T'lan Imass were the largest army to attend the Second Gathering called by Silverfox. At her behest, they stood against the K'Chain Che'Malle in the Pannion War following the Battle of Black Coral. The Betrule Believed to have been lost. The Bentract T'lan Imass Olar Ethil was sent off by Logros to search for remaining T'lan Imass armies. She believed four remaining clans of Bentract T'lan Imass were on Jacuruku, trapped within the Warren of Chaos. She could not find them however.Memories of Ice, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.674-675 A Bentract clan was found in the Refugium. The Kerluhm T'lan Imass Roughly eight months prior to the Second Gathering, the Kerluhm entered into a war against human opposition on the continent of Assail. The army had since been annihilated and it was believed that Lanas Tog, sent by Kerluhm to the Second Gathering, was the last of them.Memories of Ice, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.741 The Ifayle T'lan Imass The Ifayle joined the Kerluhm in the war on Assail and, as of the Second Gathering, there was still a small number of them unable to withdraw from the engagement. The Orshayn T'lan Imass Three broken clans - Six hundred and twelve warriors and three damaged Bonecasters were left, having fled The Spires. Other The Brold T'lan Imass The Brold were descendants of a group of Imass that did not participate in the original Ritual of Tellann. They were located on the continent of Lether and eventually attempted their own Ritual but deemed it a failure, however, when Onos T'oolan issued a call to all T'lan Imass the Brold joined him, thus proving that their ritual had in fact succeeded.Dust of Dreams, Chapter 19, UK HB p.658 The D'Avore T'lan Imass (Red Clan) The Crimson Guard was created by a vow sworn in the 1066th year of Burn's Sleep by six hundred of K'azz' original followers. These Avowed gained unnaturally long life, strength, speed, and regenerative attributes in return for their oath. The vow was often compared to the ritual of the T'lan Imass as both the ritual and vow were inspired by a desire to reach a goal. Much later, when Shimmer led an expedition to Assail to rescue Cal-Brinn and the missing Fourth CompanyAssail (novel), Chapter 2 they met Silverfox and Kilava Onass in the Salt Mountains, and the Guard discovered that Kilava had been present at the invocation of their Vow. It had drawn on the same power of Tellann that had created the T'lan Imass. Therefore the Guard were, in essence, a tribe of T'lan Imass--the D'Avore T'lan Imass or the Red Clan.Assail (novel), Chapter 15 They would continue to have physical form even after their deaths. Those who died could choose to come back. Silverfox could not redeem them as she could the other tribes. That task was left for another. Assail (novel), Epilogue T'lan Imass relationship with Soletaken and D'ivers Language For a list of known T'lan Imass words and phrases as well as translations please visit the Imass Language page. In Gardens of the Moon Information needed In Memories of Ice Information needed In House of Chains Information needed In Midnight Tides The Forkrul Assail had once tried to serve as impartial arbiters in the war between the Jaghut and the T'lan Imass. The Jaghut hoped to escape the T'lan Imass by leaving their bodies in a death-like status in specially built tombs while their souls traveled to the Hold of Ice. The Forkrul Assail carved cursed wards into the tombs' doors, but this proved not good enough for the T'lan Imass. These tombs could still be found beneath Letheras, but whenever the Letherii entered them they were empty.Midnight Tides, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.372 In Assail Information needed Notes and references es:T’lan Imass de:T'lan Imass pl:T’lan Imassowie Category:Imass Category:T'lan Imass